Can I sell my house in New York with tenants still living in it?

Yes: in New York a sale doesn't by itself end a lease or a month-to-month tenancy, so the buyer takes the house with the tenants in it and becomes their landlord. We buy tenant-occupied houses that way, month-to-month or on a lease, paying or not, so you don't have to evict anyone and there are no showings, just one walkthrough.

How selling with tenants works in New York

The tenancy comes with the house. The buyer becomes the landlord under the existing lease or tenancy, and the tenant can hold the buyer to the lease.

Security deposits go to the buyer. You hand them over at closing or within five days after, and send each tenant the buyer's name and address by registered or certified mail. After that, the buyer is responsible for returning them.

There's no self-help eviction. A landlord can remove a tenant only by winning in court, and only a sheriff, marshal or constable can carry out the eviction. Under state law, changing the locks, cutting off utilities or removing belongings to force out someone with a written or oral lease, or who has lawfully lived there 30 days or more, is a crime.

Ending a tenancy takes written notice. A landlord who won't renew a lease, or wants to end a month-to-month tenancy, must give at least 30 days' notice if the tenant has been there under a year, 60 days for one to two years, and 90 days for two years or more, going by the lease term instead if it's longer.

Showings need the tenant's cooperation. Outside an emergency, a landlord generally needs reasonable notice, a reasonable time and the tenant's consent to enter. If a tenant unreasonably refuses, the landlord's remedy is a court order.

This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to your own attorney about what applies to your house.

What we do differently

We take the house with the tenants in place, paying or not. No eviction required.
No showings. One walkthrough, in person or by video, your choice, and a written cash offer within 24 hours of it.
We buy as-is, in our own name, with our own funds, with no appraisal, inspection or financing contingency. We don't assign your contract, so the company you sign with becomes the tenants' new landlord.
No commission, no fees, and we pay the closing costs. You're paid at closing with the net proceeds of the sale.
We close through a local title company in as little as 7–14 days, or on the date you pick.
If we're not the right buyer, we'll say so and refer you to someone who can help.

Common complications

The tenant isn't paying. A nonpayment case needs a written rent demand giving the tenant at least 14 days to pay or move out. You don't need to start one to sell to us.
A rent-stabilized or rent-controlled unit. A sale doesn't end rent regulation, and the new owner takes on the same rules. In our area, regulation applies mostly in New York City and parts of Nassau and Westchester, and stabilization generally covers buildings with six or more apartments.
Good Cause Eviction. In New York City and places that have opted in, this 2024 state law limits when a covered landlord can evict or refuse to renew, and treats large rent increases as presumptively unreasonable. Small landlords, rent-regulated units and owner-occupied buildings with 10 or fewer units are among the exemptions.

Tell us about the house

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